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Investing in the Next Generation: The Long-Run Impacts of a Liquidity Shock

Author

Listed:
  • Patrick Agte
  • Arielle Bernhardt
  • Erica Field
  • Rohini Pande
  • Natalia Rigol

Abstract

Poor entrepreneurs must frequently choose between business investment and children's education. To examine this trade-off, we exploit experimental variation in short-run microenterprise growth among a sample of Indian households and track schooling and business out-comes over eleven years. Treated households, who experience higher initial microenterprise growth, are on average one-third more likely to send children to college. However, educational investment and schooling gains are concentrated among literate-parent households, whose enterprises eventually stagnate. In contrast, illiterate-parent households experience long-run business gains but declines in children's education. Our findings suggest that microenterprise growth has the potential to reduce relative intergenerational educational mobility.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Agte & Arielle Bernhardt & Erica Field & Rohini Pande & Natalia Rigol, 2024. "Investing in the Next Generation: The Long-Run Impacts of a Liquidity Shock," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(9), pages 2792-2824, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:114:y:2024:i:9:p:2792-2824
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20220296
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yoav Benjamini & Abba M. Krieger & Daniel Yekutieli, 2006. "Adaptive linear step-up procedures that control the false discovery rate," Biometrika, Biometrika Trust, vol. 93(3), pages 491-507, September.
    2. Anderson, Michael L., 2008. "Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 103(484), pages 1481-1495.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mahmud, Minhaj & Sawada, Yasuyuki & Seki, Mai & Takakura, Kazuma, 2025. "Self-learning at the right level, COVID-19, school closure, and non-cognitive abilities," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    2. Lerva, Benedetta & Ferris,Denise & Fornasari, Margherita, 2025. "A “Big Push” Through the Finish Line: Evidence from a Composite Scholarship for Ugandan Students," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11165, The World Bank.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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